Widget Title

The most common question I’ve been asked about me after being in college for a couple months is, “Where are you from?” Now, I’m not from another state, but some are, so I thought I’d write about why I’m proud to be from Iowa, known for farming, livestock and Casey’s, but what I’ve found is much more than that.

Iowa is great because of farming. It is harvesting season now, which means watch out for tractors hauling corn and beans and combines on the roads. I sit in the tractor with my boyfriend some weekends when we’re home, and watching his dad operate a machine, which eventually provides a living for them is mesmerizing. It’s important that we acknowledge how important farmers are and how hard they work. His dad will work hours longer than people with desk jobs because that is his job and his job, a lot of the time, depends on weather. Sometimes, he stays out until 3 a.m. harvesting because he knows it’s going to rain the next day. He has to get as much done as possible to provide for his family. “America Needs Farmers” is the truest saying Hawkeye fans can promote.

Along with farming comes the livestock farmers also have to take care of. When they are all done harvesting for the day or night, they’re not quite done because they have animals to feed as well.

It’s so important that they do that because that’s what we eat and we all know how much most people like hamburgers and bacon. Yum.

Iowa also has a lot of small-town living. I’m from a town of about 3,000 people. There are smaller towns, but I love mine because everyone knows everyone. We all come together in times of need or sadness. We also have a small high school, but I am grateful to graduate from it because of the genuine people and teachers who I’ve met along the way that I wouldn’t be able to find at a big high school with 3,000 in just your graduating class.

Casey’s pizza. Really that’s all that’s needed to be said but in the towns in Iowa, there’s almost a Casey’s on every corner. Casey’s is a Midwestern chain of convenience stores but is headquartered in Ankeny, which is cool because I live here now.

In Iowa, we also experience a lot of every season. It’s fall now and with fall comes cooler weather, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and corn mazes. All things that Iowans love.

There are also a lot of scenic parks in Iowa that are especially beautiful in the fall with all the leaves changing colors. Two that I can think of right now are Ledges State Park in Boone and Elk Rock State Park in Knoxville, which is located around Lake Red Rock, which is near my hometown.

Des Moines is also a great feature of Iowa because it’s not too big and not too small. We have many big cities surrounding the state if we want to experience the big city life: Omaha to the west, Minneapolis to the north, Chicago to the east and St. Louis to the south.

The Iowa State Fair. A summertime event where all Iowans come out to have a good time with some good people and eat some good food. I feel like each year is a record-breaking year for attendance, which is awesome, and we should definitely keep up that reputation.

And last but certainly not least, the Iowa State and Iowa rivalry is something all Iowans love. College football is a big deal in the state and a “season” many look forward to.

It’s a great rivalry where Iowans get pissed at each other during games, but when it all comes to an end, we’re all proud to be from, what most people would call, “just a flyover state.”